Border Authority details multi‑million investments, binational assessment and Project Jupiter plans

Gerardo Fieto, executive director of the New Mexico Border Authority, briefed the commission on border regional activity and capital projects affecting Luna County and neighboring jurisdictions. Fieto said the authority works across Dona Ana, Hidalgo and Luna counties to advance transportation, water and wastewater projects and to coordinate binational economic development with Chihuahua state counterparts.

Fieto pointed to 2023–24 trade growth at Santa Teresa (reported up 43%, from $28 billion to $40 billion) and an increase at the Port of Columbus (reported up 26%, from $313 million to $395 million), and said the Authority secured two tranches of funding this year totaling about $18.4 million for border projects that include Luna County. He identified recent investments such as a completed facultative wastewater pond in Columbus (reported at $1.2 million) and the Luna County berm (phased, with about $15 million invested to date).

The director discussed Project Jupiter, a proposed Santa Teresa data center: "It's a 165,000,000,000 investment. It's gonna deliver about 300,000,000 in, through IRB payment to the county," he stated in the presentation, and added projected construction and permanent job counts (approximately 2,000 construction jobs and 700–1,000 permanent jobs with average salaries in the $75,000–$100,000 range). He acknowledged water usage concerns and said the project plans a closed‑loop cooling system.

Fieto also announced a $400,000 binational economic assessment for Luna and Hidalgo counties to evaluate transportation, water, wastewater, utilities, tourism and cross‑border trade; he said the study will include neighboring Chihuahua municipalities and regional economic development councils. He reported approval for a Columbus water storage tank IGA ($1.7 million plus an added $300,000) and a $1 million match from state officials for a $10 million water transport request tied to berm phase funding.

Commissioners asked about water sources for the Columbus storage tank and about the screwworm's impact on cross‑border cattle commerce; Fieto replied he did not have full details on the water source but said Columbus has multiple wells and suggested the village manager could clarify. On the screwworm, he said outbreaks that affected Mexican states had been controlled in recent months and that four Mexican states remained eligible to export cattle to the U.S., which matters to local cattle and feed producers.

Fieto closed by asking the county to consider the Border Authority a partner on economic and infrastructure priorities and said the Authority has opened a Mexico City office to assist binational commerce and investment.